As Alili and her new found friend padded towards Pride Rock, she couldn't help but feel a little apprehensive, which was rather a new emotion for her. As they walked in silence she tried to stop herself from piping up the obvious question, but couldn't. “So, wah makes you wanna bring a strange lady back ter yer den, or is this what ya do?” She had heard of lions who were flirty, even lions who were serial charmers and invited every female into their den for illicit reasons, but she didn't get this feeling from Mbari. For a moment she kicked herself, had she been gullible?
Mbari's stomach dropped and worry soon set in like a thousand insects gnawing at his insides. The panic was obvious on his face and his amber eyes widened. “E-er, well.. It's a long story.” He glanced at Alili cautiously. In truth, he owed her as much to answer her question. Pridelanders were friendly but such friendliness straight off the bat could make others feel a little uneasy. “I was.. well, still am, a little anxious, and paranoid.” He blurted his flaws out quickly. “I guess it helps me to make friends easier, and I've got a little better these past seasons.” He admitted. “I need to be bolder and more social, and try to worry less, so I suppose this is an exercise in these things.”
“My mother was always well known for her tendency to worry, alongside her gentle heart. I was her first born, and the only one in my litter, so I knew her very well. I suppose I picked up a few of her tendencies early on, and a strained relationship with my father to start didn't help.” He looked at the ground for a moment. “It was fixed, and became so much better though.” He hastened to add. “Although he did pass in the war. It was a difficult time, and I thought I was too old to be hiding away from making friends any more. I felt a little pathetic, in h-honesty.” Mbari's stutter was still there occasionally, but aside from that his speech was a lot stronger than it had been, and his eye contact was more plentiful than in the past.
Alili's blue eyes widened in surprise, and then she frowned in sympathy. This lion seemed every bit as genuine as she had imagined. He was clearly a lion who was trying to better himself and be bolder. An interaction with a stranger wouldn't exactly be her idea of a bold risk, but she accepted it nonetheless. Creatures worked in different ways and if she could help someone feel a little better about themselves, then so be it! She was a friendly sort, and although Mbari had taken away the game of hunting from her for today, she was more than content to have a conversation with him and get to know him. She was feeling a little lonely too. The lioness remained quiet for a moment and smiled. “Well, Mbari, tha's a sweet story, and I'm sorry to hear about the passin' of your father, I really am.” She said it with as much sincerity as a ruffled looking lioness could. “I guess it might seem a little strange buh, people are always lookin' for friends in these lands and it's not a bad thing!”
He was glad she was as friendly as she was, perhaps a rejection or a snappy remark would have sent him spiralling emotionally in an entirely different direction. There was something about this lioness that he found warm and comforting. She certainly seemed to have a sense of fun in there too. It had taken him a great deal of confidence to invite and confide in a stranger, and though his throat felt a little dry he was doing well, and didn't feel as uncomfortable as usual. “I-i know it seems a little bizarre, but it's the truth.”
Her large eyes looked the golden male over. He was intriguing. His personality, even his appearance. The slightly socially awkward way in which he walked gave a bigger hint to his problems, but it was somewhat endearing. “Ya kno' what Mbari, I don't doubt it.” Alili flashed him a smile. A lion who was the son of such a large family would clearly be well known if he had a sordid past or less than desirable personality. In fact, his anxiety made it a little more clear as to why she'd never seen or heard him before. If he was just coming out of his shell, so to speak, then she would be more than happy to help him. “Ya know, I don' have that many friends really. I'm a bit of a rough one an' all the ladies I seem to meet are either motherly or too busy groomin' themselves.” She laughed loudly. She wondered what it would be like to be a mother. All those cubs to play with, and to teach how to defend themselves. She was at the age where she could very much see why it was a big deal for some lionesses. Perhaps he time would come one day. Until then, she was content with encounters within the pride.
Mbari walked along with a little more confidence for the next few paces, as they grew closer to the den. It was an old den, and as Maawio was one of the first cubs to ever be born into the Pridelands, it was situated on the side of Pride rock itself. It was quite an elusive spot in the more modern times, with the vast expansion of the pride, pride members would make their dens anywhere and everywhere.
Alili looked on in wonder as they got so close to Pride Rock. It was well known for housing the royal family, and she had never been this close before. She assumed that because of Maawio's age, it was perhaps an old family den. Mbari clearly didn't have a family, and so she felt a little sorry for him. It must be hard to make friends when you're worrying and scared all the time. It was a little hard to make friends when you were boisterous and spoke funny too. “Ah this is a nice place fer a den.” She said awkwardly. It was a little hard to follow on from the conversation they just had.
“Yeah, it's been home for a long time, I've been the only one to not ever leave, in f-fact.” He looked at the ground sheepishly. “I didn't really get o-out all that much, I mean mom encouraged me but I wasn't great at following advice in that area.” He admitted.
“Tha's alright, we can take you out and have some fun, go for a run, or a spar...” These were the lionesses go-to things to fun. She could tell by the look on Mbari's face that he didn't agree entirely.
“E-erm, I can give those things a try, why not?” He'd come this far, he might as well jump a little further. Life was too short, after all.
“Excellent. We can start tomorra'!” She looked at him with a serious smile. Looking into the entrance of the den she wondered if they would run into his mother...
Mbari looked at her in surprise but also with joy, and the pair walked forwards into the den that had seen so many visitors.
